Sports Briefs

STAFF WRITER, WITH AGENCIES

■ Soccer

Streaker-tackler sent off

An English lower league soccer player was sent off after he rugby tackled a streaker, the BBC Web site reported on Thursday. Witton Albion defender Brian Pritchard took matters into his owns hands when a naked man interrupted play in the Unibon Cheshire Senior Cup Final, but was treated to a red card for bringing the game into disrepute. The streaker, meanwhile, evaded stewards at the ground and disappeared back into the crowd. Ten-man Witton, who were losing 1-0 when the incident took place on the hour mark, lost the game 2-1. A spokesman for Altrincham told the BBC, "We provided stewards for the match but they would have needed the speed of Thierry Henry to catch that streaker, he was that quick." A Witton spokesman said the club would appeal to the Football Association on the grounds of unfair dismissal.

■ Cricket

Kallis injured

The South African cricket camp feared yesterday they had lost the bowling services of all-rounder Jacques Kallis for the remainder of the third Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve here. Kallis left the field early on the opening day of the Test with a side strain -- when he had the impressive figures of one for four off seven overs -- and captain Graeme Smith was not confident he would bowl again in the match. "He's not good, I think it's quite a bad side strain," Smith said. "Injuries like that can happen, and as a seamer I think Jacques' the only one who hasn't had a side strain. "That's the way the tour's gone, we start well and something like that happens." New Zealand, who lead the series 1-0, were 248 for six at the close of play after South Africa had won the toss.